Mr Kettle and his staff deserve the sincere acknowledgments of the Province for retaining the Maori names of the different districts of the settlement in the prosecution of their survey. The large proportion of suburban and rural divisions have the old native name attached to them, and only in the subsequent details do we stumble on an imported title having no local significance whatever, bestowed at the time, pandering to the vanity of some already forgotten aspirer to notoriety. One exception must, however, be made.

The name Molyneux was given to the river by the celebrated discoverer Captain Cook, and on that account it is well it should be perpetuated. The more generally accepted name Clutha was bestowed by the surveyors, and is said to be the Gaelic for Clyde, as is the name recognised and used in all official documents. The exact meaning of Clutha has not been satisfactorily explained; it occurs frequently in old Jacobite songs and history. The Inch (island), a very common one in Scotland, was given at the same time. There is a little difference in opinion regarding the original Maori names, to which reference will be made.

The names of the first purchasers, with the year, are as follows:—

Clutha District.

Name.	Block.	Section.	Date.
George Ross and Andrew Mercer	1	1	1847
James Williamson	4	17	1847
[Both these choices were made in Edinburgh.]
William Chalmers	14	5	1848
John Law Baker	54	2 & 4	1848
William Chalmers	51	8	1848
Robert Craig	19	2	1849
James Houston Stirling	19	3	1849
William Perkins	23	11	1849
Chalmers Brotherton and Mav Taylor	19	2	1849
Charles Metcalf Taylor and William Graham Taylor	51	6	1849
T. B. Archibald	15	4	1850
Alexander Swan	23	5	1850
Samuel Blyth	50	6	1850

page 44

Inchclutha.

Name.	Block.	Section.	Date.
Howard Lakeman and Herbert Lakeman	4	8	1848
Thomas Ferguson	8	4	1848
Thomas Tavlor	8	6	1848
W. H. Valpy	8	7	1848
Peter Murdoch Napier and David John Napier	13	1	1848
James McHardy	14	3 & 4	1848
Thomas Redpath	13	9 & 11	1848
John Ramage	13	12	1848
D. and W. Laing	13	2	1849
Robert Duncan Smith	12	9	1849
Francis Scott Pillans	10	12	1849
William and Peter Smith	10	11	1849
David and William Laing	4	7	1849
James and Archibald Barr	8	8	1849
James Stevenson	10	10	1849

South Molyneux.

Name.	Block.	Section.	Date.
John Brown and others	1	3	1847
Rev. John McDermid	1	4	1847
William H. Cutten	1	5	1847
David Garrick	2	1	1847
William A. Mosley	2	2	1847
Charles Smith	2	3	1847
[Choices made in Britain.]
W. F. Fulton	5	4	1848
James Smith	4	4	1849

Shipping.

List of ships entered inwards from beyond seas were from opening of Custom House in April, 1848:—

A total of 6187 tons, representing the shipping arrivals from foreign during the first year of the settlement. The departures aggregated 2035 tons, all in ballast except two for the United Suites with oil and bone.

Coastwise 31 vessels are entered as having arrived from Wellington, Nelson, Akaroa, Campbell Island. Chathams, the Bluff and Wanganui, ranging from 10 to 60 tons.

Records are not available from which to obtain the names of passengers who went by sea from the Tort to Clutha. Custom House documents, as well as those of the shipping agents, have long ago disappeared, and the newspapers are scant in information. The only entries found are:—

1849.—February 18: Cutter. Catherine Johnston, 10 tons, Armstrong, for the Molyneux. Passengers: Mr Ramage, Mrs Hastie, and Mrs shepherd.

Same day: Cutter, Mercury, for the Molyneux. Passengers: Mr Chalmers, Mrs Hay and Family.

In the advertisement announcing her sailing, her agents. Tyser and Martin, Port Chalmers, state

The fine fast sailing cutter, Katherine Johnston, 20 tons burden, has room for a few passengers and goods.

On March 3 the following entry appears:

Cutters Katherine Johnston and Mercury, for the Molyneux. Passenders: Messrs Fuller, Redpath, &c.

The Mercury was registered 15 tons, Carey, master.

There were other craft also trading to the Clutha.

Trading between Dunedin and Port Chalmers appears the Schooner, Scotch Lassie. A. Mercer, agent.

1849.

• April 11—Mary, 533 tons, from London, with sundries
• June 5—Mariner, 687 tons, from London, with sundries
• September 11—Larkins, 770 tons, from London, with sundries
• September 23—Cornwall. 580 tons, from London, with sundries
• November 20—Kelso, 568 tons, from London, with sundries
• December 5—Pekin, 580 tons, from London, with sundries
• December 20—Mooltan, 580 tons, from Greenock, with sundries.

1850.

• March 26—Lady Nugent, 580 tons, from London, with sundries.
• August 6—Mariner, 687 tons, from London, with sundries
• September 4—Poictiers. 600 tons, from London, with sundries
• October 24—Phoebe Dunbar, 704 tons, from London, with sundries.

1851.

• January 17—Titan, schooner. 161 tons, from London, with sundries.
• January 24—Pioneer, brig, 148 tons, from Glasgow, with sundries
• May 6-Cresswell, 547 tons, from London, with sundries
• August 7—Stately, 566 tons, from London, with sundries
• September 28—Dominion, 580 tons, from London, with sundries
• November 16—Clara, 600 tons, from London, with sundries.

In addition to these there were arrivals from Tasmania and Sydney, bringing live stock, together with bran, hay, oats, etc., on which we were depending. Now, to these places we send back out of our abundance.

Strict accuracy or full details of shipping news must not be counted on in the foregoing enumeration, nor is it to be expected in the following.

No regular announcements were made in vital statistics at the times of their occurrence. A statement was, however, made that during the first 12 months of the existence of the settlement the births were 25, marriages 8, deaths 9, thus showing a natural increase of 16 souls, equal perhaps to 40 per cent, of the adult population. A very cheering prosperous state of affairs quite in contrast with the dolorous tale now told that the birth rate in the colony is decreasing.

Following that general summary a collation—cold and dull it may appear now, then warm and affecting—of events which more than once happen in the experience of our existence; and although a smile should arise at the particularity of the record, or in the use "in" instead of "at," a street, some excuse may be allowed for paternal jubilation.